Iron vapor-toluene reaction

The iron vapor-toluene reaction has evoked interest because of the lability of the proposed bis(arene)iron complex to ligand subsitu-tion and to loss of both toluene molecules to free the metal atom. In the latter case the toluene molecules may be usefully regarded as metal atom carriers which can be used to direct the latent reactivity of the atom in subsequent solution phase chemistry. In this way the metal atom experiment can benefit from the convenience and additional versatility afforded by bench-top chemical manipulations. These results are relevant to a reported preparation of a dehydroxy-lated silica-supported Fischer-Tropsch catalyst from a static reactor codeposition of Fe and toluene.(46) In the liquid phase, iron atoms "bottled" in this way have also been utilized in an exceedingly mild method for making minute catalytically active superparamagnetic clusters on the surface and within the cavities of a dehydrated sodium zeolite Y.(38) Using the rotary reactor, preformed solutions of solvated iron atoms (as the toluene complex) are cannulated below their decomposition temperature out of the flask to a cold slurry of the support in toluene. Diffusion of intact... 

Other reactions occur, such as that producing sulfate ion, 804 ". The elemental sulfur by-product from the previous reaction may be removed for commercial use by extraction with toluene or kerosene, or by steam vaporization a portion of the iron(II) produced may be oxidized to iron(III) ... 

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